I.O.U.

I get pretty banged up from time to time. Fortunately, I haven't been seriously injured from sports but I have more than my fair share of painful experiences. During my high school pitching days, my left shin loved to catch grounders. When I'm in the infield covering someone else as they go for a pop fly, I was knocked to the ground by an elbow to the face. I was knocked out for a little bit and woke up with a fat lip and a mouthful of blood. When I'm playing basketball my face likes to outdo my arms by catching a few baseball passes of its own. I've played volleyball with a newly stitched finger and had my bandage fly off after receiving a strong serve. Baseball hurt my shoulder so badly it took three years to heal. Volleyball has partially torn ligaments in my feet and knees and propagated inflammation in my Achilles tendons. I sacrifice for sport time and time again. A professional I am not, but I am an athlete nonetheless.

It was tough to miss badminton and volleyball this past week [I draw the line at curling] after hurting my knee. Someone at work suggested I simply do activities that wouldn't add burden to my knees. I stared blankly at her and simply said but everything I do in my life involves my knees. Another colleague was adamant that it's not a big deal to miss practices for weeks until my knees heal since I wasn't a professional athlete. They just don't get the point. It's part of who I am. I'm not talking about being a jock or a superstar [I don't believe I'm either]. Team sports developed my character. You can't ask a professional athlete to turn their intensity down or give up in a game and you can't ask the same of me. I've played through pain not because I was strong but because it made me strong. I woke up at 5am for morning practices not because I wanted to but because it made me want to. I am competitive not because I want to win but because it gives me the will to win. The things I learned on the court helps me deal with life. Without it, I would not have the leadership skills, self-confidence, a healthy lifestyle, diverse groups of friends, and joie de vie that I enjoy today. Playing team sports has taken me on a wonderful journey and made me who I am. I'm someone I'm proud of. I can only hope that I will get a chance to pay my debt some day.